The game of chess is continually increasing in popularity and in particularly enjoyable when played at a rapid pace. Attempts have been made to provide a rapidly paced game by the provision of a chess clock for accounting for the total amount of time used by each player during a predetermined number of moves. I am of the opinion that the game would be more enjoyable if each player would have to make each move within a predetermined time period such as 30 seconds. Further, there is a need for indicating the running of the 30 second time period in a dramatic fashion such as with illuminated chess pieces.
The provision of illuminated chess pieces has been suggested in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,579,856 and 3,854,725. However therein, the chess pieces are not illuminated to indicate a time period in which the pieces must be moved.
In connection with the board for the chess game it is known to provide a case for the chess pieces composed of pair of hingedly connected sections which are opened in coplanar relationship to form the chess board. One problem with such boards is that the board with pieces thereon is unstable and is moved only with great difficulty because the two sections are not locked together.